Sparkling Angel
by Saphira101
Summary: Before the vampire, there existed another kind of demon.  One such demon tells of her struggles to remain like a human and resist her nature in order to protect the one she loves. Warning: Not your typical Rome fic...please review!
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

No one knows how long they had been in existence, but it is said that they were especially prominent around the time of the Roman Empire. Such a healthy population of people at that time encouraged many to migrate into the heart of the Mediterranean lands.

They were beautiful, radiant beings—with russet skin like cinnamon and eyes of violet. In fact, it was rather difficult to recognize one of them save for the color of the eyes. Even then, most of them managed to blend in well enough to endanger the humans around them.

Because these people—these men and women were not human themselves. They feasted on the emotional energy and willpower of humans, particularly their fear. One kiss, if maintained long enough, held the power to drain them senseless…and when the victim awoke, he too would walk in the path of the one before him, seeking his first meal. In time, each one learned the subtle tactics of seduction to drawing victims for the only sure way to feed was through a kiss on the lips…from the mouth they gained entry to the very soul of their victim and drew out their spirit.

They were given a different name by every group of peoples who happened upon them, and they were known to the ancient Romans as _regnum adumbro_, or "dark royalty". Such a name depicted the stately and graceful nature which concealed their hideous intentions.

Given such powerful gifts—unnatural strength, miraculous beauty, immortality—most _regnum _abused their power and destroyed life after life without a hint of remorse…one kiss, if held for too long, could claim all willpower and emotion from a person, leaving his heart beating but himself unable to move, no thoughts left in his mind. One would say worse than dead. Such were many victims of new _regnum _who were always especially hungry and devoid of the self-control.

However, those who stood out from the norm were those _regnum _who fought the urge, disgusted with what they'd become—those few who struggled to live among humans live normal lives. Such ones had to avoid social festivities due to their aversion to singing, one of their few weaknesses and one of which few humans knew. Other than that, these select few used their strength to defy their nature and remain as a part of society. They hated and sought to protect the humans from those _regnum _who enjoyed ridding humans of their spirits.

I am one of those _regnum_. My name is Adversa and I want to tell the story of my battle against those of my kind who strike fear into the hearts of people who hear of our kind as well as my battle against myself.


	2. Memories and Introductions

I'll never forget the moment I first laid eyes upon him…

At first, I thought he was like me—his skin was such a beautiful shade of cinnamon and his features were crafted as if from stone. It was only when I turned and I saw his deep brown eyes that I realized…

"Well, hello there," he greeted me with an odd grin. Oh, no—he was _aware _of his good looks. Another feature common among most of our kind. "Are you new to the House of the Julii?"

I took a deep breath. "Yes, I was sold here by my master in Pompeii." How smooth I could be.

_My father had in fact been a nobleman of Pompeii nearly 200 years before. I had not been so much sold as snatched from his arms when I was turned by my music instructor. I had dreamed all my life of meeting a handsome prince of Venice or perhaps Rome and becoming his queen. Childish dreams. Once my father discovered what had happened, he sent men after the man who had changed me. Of course, they had long fled. It had just been he and I for years after my mother had passed on from disease. That night, while his men searched in vain, my Papa held me in his arms and muttered prayer after prayer that I would be cured. He thought this an illness—my violet eyes, my perfect face and hair, the slight glow to my skin when standing in shadow…_

_The following dawn before the sun rose, I awoke with this horrible gnawing sensation deep in my chest. I felt so numb, yet so distraught—I would do anything to feel happy again, or relieved or just content. Suddenly, it seemed like I would never know love or warmth again. I was freezing inside and out, yet my skin had broken out into a sweat. I needed relief and now. Then, I glanced up into the sleeping face of my father. How utterly peaceful he looked; how I envied his comfort. But I was his little girl; he'd always shared everything with me. Why should now be any different? Everything from there was a blur…I remember lunging for my father's face—his lips perhaps. I somehow knew I could find happiness again this way. I remember hearing my father's scream and I was thrown to the floor. It didn't hurt near as much as it should have and yet the emotional strike was even worse—my father had thrown me away. But I had just tried to kill him, hadn't I? Too many memories flowed together._

_Next I knew, I awoke to the sound of the high priest's voice speaking softly: "She has been cursed, my lord, "he whispered as if I might attack him if I heard. "You must send her away."_

_"No, I will never do that," Papa protested, "There must be some kind of cure!"_

_"There is no cure," replied the priest sullenly, "this curse is not a disease but a different sort of affliction—victims lose their humanity and cease to live, yet never die. They do not eat or sleep because they only need us to survive. Our emotions keep them satiated and they wander the earth searching for more lives to ruin. I am warning you: If you do not send away Adversa, she will destroy us all, my lord. She will never stop until she robs us all of our feeling and will. I beg of you, Highness, please heed my words."_

_Still, my father protested. But the High Priest—Marcus was his name, I remember—he complied with my father's wishes but then put in his drink a sleeping potion so that he slept very deeply. _

_While Papa slept, Marcus knelt by my bedside and took my hand. Most unusual for a man so frightened by a demon child._

_As he called my name gently, I pretended to have just awoken and I slowly turned my gaze to meet his. Then, the same hunger filled me—the need to steal this man's happiness and joy, his fear, his desires, his soul…but I did not want to be taken from my father, so I suppressed it. Tears came from the effort._

_"Now, dear child," he cooed, "do not cry. We want to make you better. To do so, we must send you away for a little while. Your father is sleeping now, but he wanted me to tell you that he will miss you and wishes for you to go right now so that you may soon return to him." But I knew the truth—I could never return._

_With a hiss of rage, I moved for him faster than I ever could have managed before. But he was quick as well. He hurled something in my direction and fire splashed upon me. Again, all went black. _

_When I awoke yet again, I was lying in a sewer tunnel, the pungent water searing all of my exposed flesh. As soon as I climbed out f the sewer and began walking down the dirt path towards the nearest city, the burns healed. I later learned that the liquid fire he had used to burn me had in fact been ordinary water from the river beneath the city bridge. _

_For the past two centuries, I have moved from place to place within my homeland. I can never stay in one place long, lest the lack of new views and activities leave me to my hunger. I try to only feed on criminals—thieves and the like—but it is sometimes difficult to let the hunger go for too long and still remain sane enough to suppress it._

_I have managed to stay away from good people for the most part. No relationship can last for long. Men have courted me and yet I cannot return their affection. Indeed, my first kiss ended my life, so I am rather disinclined to such engagements. So, I travel throughout the Roman Empire as a humble slave girl, trying to live her life in peace. I come out when the weather is nice and avoid the rain. I change masters somehow after several years whenever someone remarks about how I still look the same as when I arrived. Mustn't have anyone getting suspicious…_

My recent journeys have led me to Rome, the city of Caesar himself. I have come to work for Lady Atia of the Julii.

"What's your name, then?" asked the slave boy before me.

"Adversa," I replied defiantly, "and yours?"

"I'm Duro," he answers with another brilliant smile, "welcome to the House of the Julii, Adversa. I'm to be your guide until you become situated with the household. Come now, I'll show you around a bit."

And so I followed Duro out of the main hallway, painfully aware of his arm about my waist.


End file.
